DIY Network

Custom Plate Rack Turn discount shelves into a custom dish display. From "B. Original" episode DBOR-603

Serve up some custom-crafted style.

All of the "big box" discount stores carry these "little box" storage units: a few pieces of particleboard, with pre-drilled holes for adjustable shelves.

Michele Beschen's crusade against all things boring takes on these generic shelves, transforming them into a fun and functional dish rack that lets you file away plates and saucers with style. It just takes a few tools, some paint and a bunch of dowels to turn your two-shelf organizer from bland to grand. Scroll down to B. Original with your own plate rack.

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Custom Plate Rack

Materials:

2-shelf vertical storage organizer, 30" tall
(16) 1/4" dowels, 29-3/8" long.
1/4" inch drill bit
drill press or hand drill
2 clamps
wood glue (optional)
safety glasses
measuring tape
pencil
carpenter's square
sandpaper or liquid sander
paint and brushes

	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C
	Figure D
	Figure E
	Figure F

Note: The finished plate rack should have spots to hold saucers, salad plates and dinner plates perfectly. This piece is easy to customize to handle non-standard plate thicknesses; just remember to do a test run before drilling the holes to make sure the plates will fit properly.

• Remove the organizer pieces from the box. There should be two long boards, four short boards and a thin board that serves as the back of the organizer.

• Stack the short pieces together with the unfinished edges all facing the same direction. Two of these pieces will be slightly longer than the others; place them on the top of the stack.

• Working on the top shelf in the stack, make a mark 3" from each side at the top (unfinished edge) and at the bottom. Use a carpenter's square to connect the marks, making a straight line 3" in from each side of the board (figure A).

• Measure and make a mark every 1-3/16" along these lines. There should be eight marks along each line.

• Make sure the unfinished edges are still lined up flush. Use two clamps to hold the stack together firmly (figure B).

• Use a drill press or hand drill with a 1/4" wood bit to drill holes all the way through the stack at each mark (figure C). If using a hand drill, work to make the holes as straight as possible.

  Safety Alert: Always wear safety glasses and follow all safety instructions when using a power drill or other power tools.

• When all 16 holes are drilled, remove the clamps and assemble the organizer according to the package directions (figure D).

• When it's time to install the shorter, movable shelves, install the top shelf in the third hole form the top of the organizer. This will be about 7-1/2" from the top of the unit.

• Install the bottom shelf in the fifth hole from the top shelf, about 10-1/2" below the top shelf.

• Insert a dowel through a hole in the top of the unit all the way through both shelves and into the bottom (figure E). These dimensions ensure a fairly tight fit for the dowels; tap the dowel in with a rubber mallet if needed. Glue isn't needed to keep the dowels in place, but you can apply a little wood glue to secure the dowels if desired.

• Insert the other 15 dowels. When fully installed, the dowels should sit flush with the top and bottom of the unit
  (figure F).

• To decorate the piece, sand it lightly or apply a coat of liquid sander. Then paint and seal as desired.